Football Program

— Villanova University will not take a vote scheduled for this week that would decide if the football program would upgrade from FCS to FBS status and move to the Big East Conference. The university released a statement today that says the Big East needs more time to do its due diligence regarding Villanova's potential football membership. Villanova is working with the Big East to provide additional information. The board of trustees was scheduled to vote on Tuesday. Instead, Villanova now hopes to vote in the "near future.

When he was at the school back in April, Andre Reed told the Dieruff football team how proud he was of them and how he was following their progress. Chances are good Reed will be following along this season again as the Huskies look to build on their 5-5 season of a year ago that was a breakthrough for a program that was 7-92 over the previous decade and had lost 30 straight games before Kyle Beller took over as coach in 2012. Beller was last year's Morning Call coach of the year and was more upbeat than ever as the Huskies went through their heat acclimation session on Thursday.

Pennsylvania voters have a gubernatorial election looming, with education funding being at the forefront of the campaigns. Yet our elected congressmen focus on the football program of our state's most prestigious university. Wouldn't it be more advantageous to lobby for more support for the other 99 percent of the students who attend that university and the other state-affiliated universities? Would going to a bowl game assist a working family's efforts to have its child attend Penn State or any of the other institutions?

Former Central Catholic star quarterback Brendan Nosovitch will transfer from the South Carolina football program, according to a report by TheBigSpur.com, a website that covers Gamecock athletics. Nosovitch, a redshirt sophomore, was listed fourth at the quarterback spot when South Carolina release its preseason depth chart last month. He has taken reps at quarterback and tight end during the preseason. Nosovitch was The Morning Call's 2010 player of the year as a junior after leading Central Catholic to a 16-0 record and the PIAA Class 3A championship.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - From Joe Paterno to Tom Coughlin, Matt Rhule has been mentored by some of the winningest coaches in football. Now, Rhule gets a chance to apply all of it at Temple. Rhule, 37, who will leave his post as assistant offensive line coach with the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants to take over the Owls, was formally introduced on Monday on campus, after agreeing to a contract over the weekend. He has 15 seasons of coaching experience, and is a former linebacker at Penn State.

Oklahoma State's football program is under NCAA investigation, ESPN.com reported Monday. According to ESPN.com, the investigation stems from a five-part series by Sports Illustrated in September that alleged improprieties in the program. After the report, Oklahoma State appointed Charles E. Smrt, a former NCAA official, to conduct an internal investigation. That investigation is nearing an end. "The inquiry continues and it is hoped that it will conclude within the next few months," a university spokesman told ESPN.

Former Central Catholic star quarterback Brendan Nosovitch will transfer from the South Carolina football program, according to a report by TheBigSpur.com, a website that covers Gamecock athletics. Nosovitch, a redshirt sophomore, was listed fourth at the quarterback spot when South Carolina release its preseason depth chart last month. He has taken reps at quarterback and tight end during the preseason. Nosovitch was The Morning Call's 2010 player of the year as a junior after leading Central Catholic to a 16-0 record and the PIAA Class 3A championship.

It has been a whirlwind couple of days for those associated with the Southern Lehigh football program. Joe Glassic, who has been the only junior high head coach in varsity mentor John Toman's tenure, died in his sleep Friday morning. Early Saturday night, Southern Lehigh gift-wrapped 21 first-half points for Bethlehem Catholic in the District 11 Class 3A final by throwing three interceptions and having a snap go over the punter's head. The excuses were in place to pack it in and take silver medals for a fourth consecutive years — three in the district tournament and one in the Eastern Conference.

Having played and coached at Marian Catholic, Tom McCarroll knows all about Schuylkill League football. Having spent two years as an assistant on Tony Trisciani's staff at Whitehall, McCarroll knows about the Lehigh Valley Conference. And, after spending the last three seasons on Tom Falzone's staff at Catasauqua, he knows all about the Colonial League. But the one area league that McCarroll knows little about is the Mountain Valley Conference. He will have to learn about the MVC fast since he was hired as the new head coach at Lehighton last week.

Cedric Lloyd, a coach who has experience in trying to revive a struggling inner-city football program in Indianapolis, was unanimously approved by the Allentown School District Thursday night as the new head football coach at Allen High School. Lloyd becomes the first African-American coach in Allentown/Allen's long football history. "He's got the energy, the enthusiasm, the personality, the experience we wanted in our next football coach; he's the perfect fit," said Allen principal Keith Falko Thursday night after announcing Lloyd's name on a local cable television show.

Pennsylvania voters have a gubernatorial election looming, with education funding being at the forefront of the campaigns. Yet our elected congressmen focus on the football program of our state's most prestigious university. Wouldn't it be more advantageous to lobby for more support for the other 99 percent of the students who attend that university and the other state-affiliated universities? Would going to a bowl game assist a working family's efforts to have its child attend Penn State or any of the other institutions?

I definitely agree with Rep. Charlie Dent and the other four Pennsylvania congressmen that the penalties placed against Penn State were entirely too extreme. Where does the NCAA get the authority to impose such strict penalties that punish current and future student-players who had nothing to do with Jerry Sandusky's actions? The football team and the student athletes are being deprived of a big part of a very successful football program. These student-athletes work very hard to make the football program successful and have an excellent academic record to continue being able to play football.

A month after Penn State's coaching staff worked a football camp at Georgia State, the schools announced a non-conference game for the 2017 season. Penn State has completed its 2017 and '18 football schedules with non-conference games against mid-major opponents. The Lions will play Georgia State in 2017 and Kent State in 2018. In June, Penn State coach James Franklin and his staff worked at a camp hosted by Georgia State coach Trent Miles, which drew attention from some SEC coaches.

Oklahoma State's football program is under NCAA investigation, ESPN.com reported Monday. According to ESPN.com, the investigation stems from a five-part series by Sports Illustrated in September that alleged improprieties in the program. After the report, Oklahoma State appointed Charles E. Smrt, a former NCAA official, to conduct an internal investigation. That investigation is nearing an end. "The inquiry continues and it is hoped that it will conclude within the next few months," a university spokesman told ESPN.

Normally for Tom Hontz, summers are reserved for wrestling camps and conditioning, for like most other high-profile high school sports, there really are no off-seasons. But not this year. Hontz, who in his 24 seasons at Upper Perkiomen turned a dormant program into a perennial District One powerhouse, has exchanged the mat for the gridiron. In February, he was approved as Upper Perk's new head football coach, succeeding Steve Moyer, who resigned after two seasons. A turnaround won't be easy.

Certainly victories are nice, and they're one way to measure the success of a high school sports program. But sending kids on to college is another gauge, and using that barometer, Allen High School did quite well in the just-completed 2014-15 school year. At a ceremony at Sewards Gym last week, the Canaries honored 18 kids who are going to play sports at the next level, including field hockey player Maiyah Brown, who is headed to Temple. The largest contingent, however, came from football where seven players are going on to the next level.

Saquon Barkley called Rutgers his dream school when he committed to play football for the Scarlet Knights in September. His dream changed after a visit to Happy Valley last weekend. Barkley announced Wednesday afternoon that he was switching his verbal commitment from Rutgers to Penn State. The junior running back is ranked No. 199 in the country by Rivals.com, which has given him a four-star rating. "It was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life," Barkley said by phone Wednesday afternoon.

While the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoff brackets were announced Sunday morning and Lafayette found out that it's headed to New Hampshire, Lehigh officially began its offseason. Some held out hope that Lehigh, at 8-3 and with wins over New Hampshire and Princeton on its resume, would get one of the 24 FCS tournament spots. But if the Mountain Hawks were snubbed after a 10-1 season in 2013 only the most ardent Lehigh supporters — with thick blinders on — saw a playoff berth coming this time.

Zack Bradley graduated from Catasauqua High School on Monday night. But on Tuesday night, he got to represent the Rough Riders one more time and the school simply couldn't have had better representation. Bradley, a three-sport athlete best known as the quarterback of the Colonial League and District 11 Class 2A football champion, was chosen as the first Coordinated Health Athlete of the Year at a banquet at the SteelStacks entertainment complex in Bethlehem. The special night featured soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Andre Reed as the main speaker.

Saquon Barkley called Rutgers his dream school when he committed to play football for the Scarlet Knights in September. His dream changed after a visit to Happy Valley last weekend. Barkley announced Wednesday afternoon that he was switching his verbal commitment from Rutgers to Penn State. The junior running back is ranked No. 199 in the country by Rivals.com, which has given him a four-star rating. "It was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life," Barkley said by phone Wednesday afternoon.